


A Broken Promise

by alltheallofme



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Complete, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Death, F/M, First AOT Fic, Fluff, Hitlowe, Oneshot, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Potato girl - Freeform, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, attack on titan - Freeform, hitchlowe, like a lot of death, marlowe is oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheallofme/pseuds/alltheallofme
Summary: It's the night before the mission to reclaim Wall Maria. Marlowe's head is filled with many thoughts, some are good and some are bad. For some reason, a lot are about Hitch. Then...She's there.
Relationships: Hitch Dreyse/Marlo Sand | Marlowe Freudenberg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	A Broken Promise

Marlowe took a swig from his drink, glancing at the Scouts around him that hungrily gobbled up their meat. His nose still ached and bled slightly from when Sasha, or "Potato Girl" as Conny and Jean so affectionately called her, had punched him. He eyed the small scraps of meat still present on the table, but refrained from taking any more. A look around the table told him that his Scout seniors needed and wanted it more than him.

A slight movement in front of him distracted Marlowe from his thoughts, and before he knew it there was Eren and Jean on their feet, trying to beat the shit out of each other. _Was it the suicidal maniac comment_? he asked himself.

"What the hell are those two doing?" he quietly said to nobody in particular. Nobody answered, so he watched the fight unenthusiastically. All around him, people at different tables stood up and walked over to the fight between the two Levi Squad members, various people cheering for either Jean or Eren.

"Should we let them keep going?" Marlowe heard Armin ask from behind him, barely audible over the noise of Jean and Eren's fight and the cheering of the other Scouts.

Mikasa made a small noise of affirmation and nodded from Marlo's right. "I think it's fine."

Marlowe watched as Eren and Jean kept swinging at each other, trading hits. They seemed to be equally matched, both managing to land a hit on the other not long after receiving one. He narrowed his eyes at the two men, examining them closely.

 _They're two sides of the same coin_ , he though, taking another drink. _Eren and Jean both want to do what's right, but Eren is reckless almost to the point of insanity. He kind of reminds me of Commander Erwin._

Marlowe's eyes flicked back to Eren and Jean who were obviously regretting some life decisions. They were both looking pretty beat-up, and it was obvious from their slow, half-assed swings that they were tiring. Marlowe couldn't help but smile behind the rim of his cup at the two hot-heated comrades. Suddenly, a flash distracted him from his thoughts.

"That's enough celebrating," the strong voice of Captain Levi stated. Marlowe almost choked on his drink at the sight of how quickly Jean and Eren had wound up on the floor, Jean coughing up his dinner. "Go to bed and clean that up."

"Yes sir!" the Scouts shouted in unison. Marlowe drained what water was left in his cup and set it down on the table, sighing slightly as he stood up. He saw Conny rush over to Jean and Armin and Mikasa do the same to Eren, standing over them. Marlowe turned his eyes away, deciding that it didn't involve him and filing out the door with the rest of the scouts.

As he gazed out over the dark streets of the city, he let his mind wander. He thought of the mission tomorrow, and all the feelings associated with that. As eager as Marlowe was to prove himself, to be more than one person trying to make a difference in the military police, he was scared. He knew it was human to be scared, but it was still a little embarrassing to him. The only person Marlowe knew that was never scared was Eren, but in all honesty Eren wasn't fully human.

 _I wish Hitch had said something different_.

Marlowe paused walking for a second, surprised by his own thoughts. _Where did that come from?_ He had been thinking about Hitch a little more than usual because of her harsh words to him, but to think about her in the middle of thinking about the mission was odd for him.

"She made her choice," Marlowe muttered to himself, kicking at a loose stone in the pavement outside his temporary barracks. He wasn't usually a bitter person, but Hitch's determination to go against his decision to join the Scouts cut him deep for some reason. "The best thing is to forget about her."

"Marlowe?"

Marlowe stopped in his tracks and slowly turned towards the source of the voice. Out of the shadow of a nearby storefront appeared a shadowy figure in a black cloak. In a swift motion, the figure pulled down its hood, revealing the person underneath. Marlowe felt his breath leave him.

"Hitch?"

Her face illuminated by the light of the nearly-full moon, Hitch nodded at Marlowe. A smile tugged at her lips, but it changed quickly into a frown. She tugged off her black leather gloves and shoved them into a pocket behind her cloak.

"Hitch, what are you doing here?" Marlowe asked, stepping slightly closer to her.

"I was in the neighborhood," Hitch lied. "I happened to walk by at the right time."

"Sure. You're a hundred kilometers away from Stohess in the dead of the night, right next to where the scouts are staying, dressed all in black. Why are you _really_ here, Hitch?"

Hitch's smile faded again and she tugged at the rim of her cloak. "I really have always been a terrible liar. Right, 'Lowe?"

"Yeah," Marlowe said bitterly, biting his lip and looking away from Hitch's face. That stupid nickname she had called him since their first day of training had always bugged him and she knew it.

"If you really want to know, I came here because I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Marlowe snapped. "I thought you had already said everything you could. I'm still not going to leave the Scouts, though why _you_ care I don't know." Hitch's face contorted into one of frustration, and her eyebrows knit together.

"I know I can't convince you to leave the Scouts," she spat, glancing away from Marlowe and brushing her honey-blonde waves out of her eyes.

"Then we don't have anything else to talk about," Marlowe said, equally as harsh. He pivoted and started walking towards the temporary barracks on the other side of the street away from Hitch. Away from his problems.

"Marlowe, wait!" she called. He ignored her. Finally, he heard Hitch sigh and speak to him in a clear and quiet voice. "I just wanted to talk to you before you go to Wall Maria tomorrow..."

"How do you know about that?" Marlowe asked. He turned his head and looked at Hitch, his dark eyes staring straight into her light green. "Hitch, how do you know about the mission?"

"Everyone knows about it..." she confessed, and for a second he saw her return back to normal again. Her playful smirk came back along with the twinkle in her eyes and the slight tilt of her head. For some reason, Marlowe felt his heart speed up. He swallowed hard and tried to keep meeting her gaze.

"Fine," he said quietly. "I'll talk. But you can't convince me to not join the mission, if that's your aim." Swiftly, he moved past her into a nearby dark alley, her small frame trailing him.

"I don't know how the word about the mission got out," Hitch told him, "but I overheard the higher-ups talking about it. And...from your reaction, I'm guessing it wasn't just a rumor."

Marlowe said nothing.

"So what's your guys' plan?" Hitch asked, her usually bubbly tone taking over.

"I can't tell you and you know it, Hitch Bitch," Marlowe fired back, smiling to himself as she scowled at him.

"Will you let that go?" she pouted. "People from the Cadet Corps still call me that on patrol. It's embarrassing, Marlowe."

"I don't care," he said simply, not letting his lips betray his inner smile. "But seriously, Hitch. If you aren't going to convince me to leave the Scouts, why are you here?"

"I..." Hitch trailed off and took her gloves out of her pocket, nervously wringing them in her hands. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"You? Apologize?"

"Well, don't look at me like that," she said nervously. "I mean it, Marlowe."

"Okay, then apologize." Marlowe inhaled sharply. He knew his tone had been a little harsh, and even though he had never been good with emotions, he could see that Hitch was a upset. "Hitch..."

"I'm sorry, Marlowe," she said shortly, her eyebrows knit together in determination. "I should have let you join the Scouts without a fight. I just...I just didn't want to see you get hurt. You know a third of the Scouts don't make it back. And with Commander Erwin leading everyone...I feel like it's gotten worse."

"Hitch, that's our job," Marlowe said. "Thank you for the apology, but putting our lives on the line is what we signed up for when we enlisted."

"Maybe you did, but I didn't!" Hitch exclaimed. "Marlowe, I enlisted so I could get out of Hell. That's what it was like for my family coming into Wall Rose after Wall Maria fell. I know you came into the MP's wanting something more, but I joined because I knew that was my meal ticket for the rest of my life!"

Marlowe turned away from the small girl in front of him. _It's the same argument we had two weeks ago,_ he thought bitterly.

"Fine," he said quietly. "You didn't have to come here to apologize if you're just going to start this all over again."

"Marlowe..."

Hitch seemed to forget what she was about to say, and she trailed off. The two stood there for a while in total silence. Marlowe kept his back turned to her, his thoughts racing. Finally, Hitch sighed and Marlowe heard a rustle of fabric.

"I guess I wasted my time coming here then," she said softly. "I had to sneak out at night. Some people still don't want the MP's interacting with the Scouts, even after Erwin was pardoned. I'm sorry for wasting your time too, Marlowe. Goodbye."

Two conflicting voices waged a war in Marlowe's head. One wanted Hitch to leave, but the other one, the smaller one, cried out the opposite. His heart beat rushed, and the small voice grew louder until it overpowered everything else. It cried out, yelling-

"Don't go."

Marlowe whirled around and he saw Hitch do the same. She had already pulled up her hood, but now she lowered it again, staring at Marlowe's face. The pale moonlight fell down on her face, and Marlowe could see how it betrayed her, reflecting off of her tears. He stared into her big, light-green eyes, not knowing what to say.

"What is it, Marlowe?"

"Honestly," he said, "I don't know. Just...don't go." Marlowe cringed. He knew the words sounded awkward coming from his clumsy tongue, but Hitch didn't seem to notice. She walked closer towards him, looking up into his face.

"Earlier I said I was a bad liar," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think I am?"

"I've always been able to tell when you're lying or hiding something," Marlowe told her, almost unable to hear his voice above the pounding of his own heart. _What's happening to me? What's this feeling?_

"You're wrong," Hitch said, coming ever closer to Marlowe. Their chests were almost touching now. Marlowe gave her a look of confusion, but she just blinked at him slowly and smiled sadly.

"What...what do you mean, Hitch?"

"That day in the woods when we found Captain Levi and his Squad. You said that I wasn't your first choice for a search partner. You say you can always tell when I'm hiding something, but...that's not true."

Marlowe gulped. "What are you saying, Hitch?" The tears in her eyes came falling down her face now, and Marlowe felt his heart squeeze in a way it never had before.

"Don't you get it?" she said, her voice cracking. "I have feelings for you, dumbass."

 _Feelings?_ Marlowe questioned, his head reeling and his heart speeding. _For me?_

They stood there in silence once again, Hitch quietly crying while Marlowe's words couldn't form no matter how hard he tried. Finally, she sniffed and swiped away the tears from her face. "I just...I just wanted to tell you before the mission tomorrow. That's why I came here. I know you don't feel the same. Goodbye now, Marlowe." She turned to walk away.

"Hitch, wait," Marlowe finally managed, grabbing onto her arm. "I-I-I'm...I'm about to do something that's probably really stupid, so I'm sorry."

"Mar-"

His body moving on his own, Marlowe pulled Hitch closer to him. He looked into her eyes, his breath catching. Then without warning and seemingly without his brain, Marlowe leaned down and met Hitch's lips with his own. It was nothing, only a small peck, but for some reason to Marlowe in that moment, it felt like everything.

"I..." Marlowe trailed off. Hitch looked up at him, her eyes wide but clear of tears. He didn't have any words, but there was so much he wanted to say. "I...can I...do that again?"

Hitch nodded, and this time they were both more prepared. Marlowe took Hitch's hands in his, closing the small gap in between them. It was a little harder this time, both Marlowe and Hitch leaning more into the kiss. Tentatively, Hitch moved her hands out of Marlowe's grasp. Marlowe fumbled with his hands clumsily, but Hitch reached down and positioned his hands for him. Then, she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. Eventually, they broke apart, both needing a breath.

"Marlowe..." Hitch panted.

"Was that good enough?" he asked, looking at her.

"It was perfect," she replied, and Marlowe could tell that she meant it. "How long have you..."

"I don't know," he confessed. "But always, I think."

Hitch leaned in, kissing him again. The thoughts in his head quieted, and the only thing in his head, the only one thing that mattered, was her.

Hitch.

Suddenly, she tensed up and pulled back, letting her arms fall to her sides. He let her go and looked at her, studying the way she looked down at the ground.

"What's wrong?"

"You'll have to leave tomorrow, 'Lowe," Hitch said sadly. Marlowe didn't mind the name this time, but felt his heart sink as the reality of the situation came back to him.

"But it's okay," he said, brushing her hair out of her face. He meant for it to be endearing, but he knew it was executed clumsily. "I'll be back for you, Hitch."

"But what if you're not?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I don't know if I could take it. What if something happens at Wall Maria tomorrow?" Marlowe pulled her close, enveloping her in his arms.

"I'll be back, Hitch," he said calmly. "I'll kill a titan, just for you, and then I'll be back for you after we've reclaimed Wall Maria. Hell, I'll take you there someday."

Hitch sniffled and looked up at him, her light green eyes still rimmed with tears. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Hitch held on to him tight as she cried, and Marlowe breathed softly, knowing that he would do everything he could to keep his word.

**~~~**

Marlowe didn't feel the fragmented boulder connect with his skull. He didn't feel any pain. The only thing he felt was the blood dripping down his head as his horse fell and he was catapulted onto the ground. For some reason, the pain wasn't there even though he knew it should be. The only thing he felt was that blood. It was cold.

 _I'm going to die_.

That was a fact, and there was nothing he could change about it. His body began to grow numb, and as much as he wanted to move, he couldn't. Still, as he looked towards the sun, hanging low in the Western sky, his mind was filled with only one thing.

Hitch.

The very thought of her filled his mind with happy thoughts, and the numb feeling in his body changed into warmth. Even on death's doorstep, he was safe when he thought of Hitch. Breathing one last shaky time, he thought of the previous night where he had sworn to her he would survive. A single tear trickled down his cheek, and he smiled.

_I'm sorry, Hitch._

Then, all was quiet.


End file.
